


only thing that matters

by mytsukkishine



Series: Baby, It's Cold Outside [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Discord: Umino Hours, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hatake Kakashi is the Best Boyfriend, M/M, Quarantine Changes Stuff, Slice of Life sort of hMMmM, Umino Hours Winter Bingo, Umino Iruka Needs a Hug, prompt: fairy lights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mytsukkishine/pseuds/mytsukkishine
Summary: Due to strict quarantine, Iruka and Kakashi’s annual visit to the park every Christmas Eve is postponed for the first time ever since they got together. Iruka is sad about it, but then Kakashi is a romantic sap Iruka loves.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Baby, It's Cold Outside [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034916
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33
Collections: The Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020





	only thing that matters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jubokko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubokko/gifts), [LazarusII](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazarusII/gifts).



> hellooooo !!! A wonderful day to you all !  
> This story is for the lovely, Laz! I already gave you my long message XD But I appreciate you so much, and I'm so happy I met you! You're a wonderful person Laz, keep shining, love. And thank you for all the emotional support <3 
> 
> Also, before you proceed! This fic has irl quarantine feels, so if uncomfortable...  
> but still, I hope you will all enjoy this ! <3
> 
> thank you to [Vynush](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7928031/) for reading over this fic :3c

Iruka releases a sigh of relief as he closes the door shut behind him. He pats some snow off of his jacket, careful not to drop all the bags he’s holding. Iruka had just arrived from the grocery store, and it was bustling, to say the least. 

Since tomorrow is Christmas, many people were _‘panic buying’_. From picking up food ingredients, gifts, clothing, etc. The grocery was packed when he arrived, and Iruka immediately regretted ever thinking of going there, but he needed to buy shampoo, dog food, and wine as per Kakashi’s request. Before he could enter the building, he had to wait outside the grocery store because the number of customers allowed inside were limited, and when he did get inside, he roamed the whole store just to look for the particular wine Kakashi requested. 

After getting all his stuff, he also had to wait in line just for his things to be checked out. Iruka spent a good thirty minutes standing in line, and when he was near, the cash register suddenly froze and he had to wait another fifteen minutes. 

It was tiring, Iruka felt like half of his day had gone by with him just standing, and waiting. He has a lot to do- bake some cookies and brownies with Kakashi, clean their house, get a good recipe for hot chocolate, video call Naruto, and secretly wrap up Kakashi’s gift. 

Iruka pouts as he takes off his shoes. Just thinking about how it’s going to be Christmas tomorrow saddens him a little bit. Last year, before _that_ bad thing happened, he and Kakashi always go to this park near the school to see the lights and the huge Christmas tree in the middle- they haven’t broken their tradition since they started dating. The two of them would talk nonstop just about everything, eat, or just bask in each other’s presence as they enjoyed the wonderful view. 

And now, since their city is still under quarantine and outdoor activities aren’t allowed, the annual Christmas Tree lighting at the park is cancelled this year. It’s a bummer, but Iruka understands perfectly that it’s for the better.

Another thing he hated about this quarantine was that he wouldn’t be able to spend some time with his friends, and his little step-brother Naruto- who was living with his foster parents all the way to the other side of the city. Again, for the first time ever, it'll be his first Christmas without Naruto. 

"I'm home!" Iruka shouts, at the same time the patter of big and small paws and nails can be heard as eight dogs run up to him, only to stop when Iruka holds his hands out.

"Stop! I've been outside, all of you aren't allowed to be near me."

All of them stop, and Iruka smiles fondly as they slowly back away, making space for him to walk through. Even though they aren’t excitedly barking at him now, Iruka can see all of their tails wagging happily. 

“Good doggies! Later, after I clean up, I’ll give you a treat, how about that?” And as if they understand him, they all bark back. 

Chuckling, Iruka quickly makes his way over to the kitchen, pausing in his tracks as soon as his eyes land on his lover who is standing by the counter, reading a book while mixing something in a bowl that looks a lot like chocolate brownies. 

“Yo, welcome back.”

Iruka smiles, giving Kakashi a flying kiss before sauntering towards the kitchen counter farthest away from him. 

"You started the brownies without me," Iruka says as he starts to pull out the things he bought. 

"Ah, yeah… Iruka, about our plan for tonight," Kakashi says, his voice has a hint of nervousness as he puts his book down next to the mixing bowl. 

"What about it?" 

"I may not be able to join you for dinner later," 

"What?" Iruka spins around, his face adorning a slight frown, "What do you mean?" 

"Well, work called for me and I need to finish that manuscript Jiraiya-sama needed, then bring it to him later on at ten in the evening at his house…."

Pure disbelief paints Iruka's face as he looks at the clock on the wall next to him. The time is five in the afternoon, and since they aren't going outside, Kakashi promised him to help him bake and prepare for their small dinner, however, if Kakashi will be occupied by work until later on, and then go to his boss's place, how will they have-

"But Kashi, it's Christmas Eve!"

"I know! I tried to reason it out to him, but he said the publisher and sponsors demanded it to be done. I'm sorry, Iruka…" The pale man gives Iruka an apologetic smile and walks over to the oven, checking its temperature.

"But I promise I'll be home around eleven-" 

"Eleven?? You promised to cook while I decorate around here! Kashi, can't they just give you a few days and-" 

"I'm sorry…" 

"We can't go to the park, and now we can't even…" 

Sighing, Kakashi turns to look at Iruka. “I’m sorry, Iruka…” 

Iruka puts the items down on the counter, facing Kakashi. They have their own little staring contest for a moment, Iruka looking at him in the eye, hoping the other will break and just stay with him, but to no avail, Kakashi only keeps giving him an apologetic look he can't resist. 

"Okay…" Iruka says, looking down, “Just come home before twelve so we can have dinner… "

Kakashi smiles, “Yes, love.”

  
  


~~*~~

  
  


Three hours in and Iruka finds himself pouting because he almost forgot that the cookies were baking in the oven. He was busy setting up the small Christmas tree in the living too, his mood sour as he constantly thinks of Kakashi working up at his office when he smelled it. 

However, due to his good sense of smell, and that one of their dogs barked at him, he managed to somehow save it? It still looks edible, it's just that- it's extra crispy on the sides. 

Iruka sighs as he scratches his nose. It’s now eight in the evening, Iruka’s clothes are covered in flour and chocolate, plus he hasn't wrapped Kakashi’s gift yet. The brunet honestly thought this day will go smoothly, but since Kakashi broke the news that he’ll be spending the rest of the night buried in work, it just all came spiraling down. 

He did try to check up on Kakashi, but the audacity of his lover locking his office and answering him with _‘a bit busy, love’_ was irritating, to say the least. 

On the bright side, cookies and brownies are done, and the decors are almost done. Now all Iruka needs to do is to take a shower, call Naruto, and think of where they will get dinner. 

"Iruka," Speak of the devil. Iruka turns to look up at the stairs and sees his lover coming down, all covered up with a thick jacket and face mask. 

"I'll be going to Jiraiya-sama now…" He walks towards Iruka, pulls his mask down, and drops a kiss against his cheek, "I love you." 

"When will you be back?" Pouting, Iruka doesn't even bother to hide the disappointment in his voice as he watches Kakashi bid goodbye to their dogs. 

"I'm not sure, Iruka," 

"How about our… Movie night and dinner…" 

He looks at his feet, wanting to stop the tears from pooling in his eyes, but then he feels Kakashi's gloved hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look up at his lover. 

"I'll be home as soon as I can, and I will bring home some takeout food for us to enjoy. Also, dress up a little, we'll have a little date here with your favorite ramen and cake, okay?" 

Iruka blinks, wanting to know if Kakashi means every word he just told him. As much as he wants to be angry at the situation, Iruka knows this job is important, not just for their future, but for Kakashi's future career. They should always support one another, not bring each other down just because of childish wants… 

Is he acting childish, right now? 

"Okay…" 

One last kiss on his lips, Kakashi left with Iruka watching his back. 

An hour and a half passed by and Iruka is finally all fresh and relaxed from the bath he just had. He also finished cleaning up the kitchen and _hiding_ Kakashi's gift. And now, as he folds laundry, he's talking to Naruto from his laptop. 

"I just can't complain much, you know?" he says, turning to look at the screen and sees Naruto nodding at him. Iruka sighs after and puts the shirt he's folding down on his lap, his shoulders dropping. 

“I haven’t seen you all in a long time, and I’m hoping this Christmas I-” Iruka glances at his step-brother, not bothering to hide his trembling lips, “Is work that important right now?”

“Iruka-nii…” Naruto leans in closer to the screen and beams Iruka a soft smile. “I’m sure Kakashi-nii also wants to spend this night with you. You’re more important than work, you know that! He made a promise to me that you will be his priority.”

The brunet sniffs, laughing a little as he wipes his tears away. 

“I know that.. Gosh, I sound so childish…” 

“You’re not. But do tell me if Kakashi-nii hurts you, I will violate quarantine and travel there to kick his ass!”

Iruka’s laugh echoes through the living room, and the two brothers continue to talk- Kushina and Minato even joining in after. When they all bid goodbye to one another and promise to be extra careful with themselves, Iruka finally closes his laptop and looks around the living room. 

He misses Kakashi.

Not really feeling hungry and festive- even though it’s Christmas eve- Iruka grabs his abandoned work for this week and proceeds to grade his students’ exam papers while being surrounded by their eight dogs.

How many times has he sighed tonight? He lost count, but as Iruka circles all the wrong answers of his students, he feels his eyes dropping- and the last thing in his mind as he is swallowed by sleep is Kakashi’s face smiling at him. 

  
  


~~*~~

  
  


The light tap on his shoulders wakes Iruka up. He looks at his left, his vision still a little blurry but soon enough, Kakashi’s serene face welcomes him. 

“Hey, love…” Kakashi’s voice is soft as he leans down to plant a kiss on his lips. Still a little sleepy, Iruka sits up straight and looks at the clock. His eyes widen, and before he can say anything, Kakashi immediately presses his palm against Iruka’s back. 

“Iruka…”

“Kashi, I- I fell asleep, and it’s almost midnight,” Panic starts to rise within the brunet and his hands quickly find purchase on Kakashi’s shoulder, “I- we didn’t have dinner yet, and-”

“Iruka…”

“Kakashi…” Iruka sniffs and then all the coped up frustration he’s feeling from earlier comes crashing down. 

"I'm sorry but… is work more important than me?" Iruka cries, his tears pouring falling down freely as he searches Kakashi's eyes for answers, "Because today feels so disappointing and that-" 

Kakashi engulfs him in a hug, saying that he's sorry over and over again. He kisses the side of Iruka's head, his arms holding him close as guilt spreads within him. 

"Iruka," 

The brunet pulls back, sniffling once more, "You know I'll support you with every decision you make, with every book you create, but Kakashi - I'm sorry. This day should be us! So many changes have happened this year and I don't want us to change…" 

"Iruka, " Kakashi called out, stopping the man from rambling further by cupping his face, forcing Iruka gently to look at him. 

"Please don't cry, I'm sorry…" 

"No, Kashi. I'm sorry. My emotions are just-" 

Kakashi cuts him off with a soft kiss. 

"Iruka-koi, your emotions are valid. You have every right to complain to me, and to feel this way. And for that, I'm sorry because… Because I didn't think this through…" 

"What?" 

"There wasn't any work-related stuff today, Iruka. My gosh, I feel stupid. Why didn't I think of how you would feel being left alone?" 

"Kakashi- I don't understand…" Iruka's lips starts to tremble again, "Are you- did you not want to-" 

"No! Oh my, Iruka, no. That's not what I meant…" Releasing a defeated sigh, Kakashi runs his hand through Iruka's hair, pushing away the messy locks that managed to stick on Iruka's forehead. 

"Please don't cry anymore, it's all my fault. I planned a surprise dinner for you in my office." 

Iruka sniffs, his mind now more clear as he listens to Kakashi intently. 

"I was setting up all day, and the reason I went out was to buy our food. When I found you asleep, I snuck in but then you were crumpling up all your students' papers so…" 

"Wait, wait. You planned a… dinner for…" 

"Yes, and I'm deeply sorry because I didn't consider how you would feel if I pretended to be busy with work." 

Suddenly, all of the frustration and uneasiness Iruka feels comes flushing out of him into a deep blush. He wipes his tears away furiously, which Kakashi stops and he does it himself for Iruka. 

“Kakashi, I-”

“It’s okay, love.” Kakashi hums, pressing his forehead against Iruka’s.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ve been complaining all day and I ruined the surprise,” 

“Nonsense. You are not at fault with anything…” Kakashi presses his lips on the bridge of Iruka’s nose, “I love you and I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry, too..”

They stay in each other's arms for a moment, with some little kisses here and there, and whispers of their adoration for one another. They only pull back when Kakashi stands up to take the takeout bag from the kitchen counter. 

“Iruka, we still have thirty minutes to enjoy Christmas eve, so I humbly request for you to get yourself ready please?” 

Iruka nods, already up on his feet. 

Kakashi smiles, “I’ll prepare the last touches of our small date. Don’t look too handsome, we might not be able to go through this date and end up in-”

“Yes! Yes!”

And before Kakashi can start preparing the food he bought, Iruka calls out for him. He turns around and Iruka immediately runs up to him, wraps his arms around Kakashi's neck and kisses him hard. 

  
  


~~*~~

  
  
  


"No peeking!" 

"I'm not!" 

The couple's giggles echo through the room as Kakashi gently guides the blindfolded Iruka in his office.

After Iruka was fixing himself up, he found a note outside their room and a silk cloth next to it. It's from Kakashi and his lover instructed him to go to his office wearing this blindfold. Once he knocked on the wooden door, already blindfolded, Iruka heard Kakashi’s small gasp before he was smothered with a kiss on the lips and a whisper of how breathtaking he looked.

And now here they were, the air smelling of delicious food while Iruka was carefully guided to who knows where. There's some faint music in the background, and Iruka's stomach growls a little as the aroma of cooked foods gets stronger. 

"Kashi, did you seriously plan a dinner in your office?" Iruka asks, giggling a little as Kakashi kisses the back of his hand. 

"Will you be mad if I did?" 

Iruka pouts for a moment, still walking slowly. "Well, as long as we eat together…" 

"My gods, do you know how much I love you?" 

Iruka grins and stops once Kakashi gives him a signal. He hears Kakashi shuffling around before the sound of the sliding door connecting Kakashi's office to a small balcony opens. 

Oh, Iruka thinks as he blinks behind the blindfold, they're going to have a small dinner by the balcony - not bad. Pretty romantic. 

After a few more seconds of Kakashi walking around, the older man finally saunters back to Iruka, and carefully ushers him near the balcony door. 

"Ready, Iruka-koi?" He hears Kakashi whisper and the brunet nods in excitement. When Kakashi tells him to remove his blindfold, Iruka does so and a gasp quickly escapes his lips as his eyes scan their small balcony. 

Iruka never would've thought that their tiny balcony located at the second floor can look so stunning and perfect. There was a small table near the railings, their food already set along with the bottle of wine Iruka bought earlier. Pillows and curtains littered the mini sofa on the side, and their plants all watered and looking all lovey. And their dogs, all eight of them, are all so well behaved, resting on the floor and some of the sofa. 

It's beautiful. But the thing that caught Iruka's attention was the fairy lights littering above- lighting up the balcony beautifully. 

Iruka's heart melts once his eyes move back to Kakashi, who was dressed neatly. 

"Wow…" Is the only thing Iruka can say as he slowly makes his way to Kakashi, wrapping his arms around his neck after. 

"This is…" 

"Surprise, love. This is the reason why I didn’t want you to decorate much because I'm borrowing them for today," Kakashi chuckles, circling his arms around Iruka's waist. "I wanted to surprise you so I secretly bought some plants and decorations, and more fairy lights." 

"Kakashi," Iruka's eyes start to pickle with tears as Kakashi continues. 

"And I know how disappointed you were when we couldn’t go out for the Christmas lights at the park, so I hope more lights here in our small balcony can cheer you up?" 

"You are really unpredictable…" Iruka shakes his head as he sniffs, Kakashi chuckling in return. "And I love you so much." 

"I love you, too."

And as they enjoy their dinner under the fairy lights, their dogs beside them, and the cold of Christmas eve hugging them, it's enough for Iruka to fall all over again for Kakashi. 

Iruka sighs dreamily, watching Kakashi talk animatedly about a certain fond memory of him and his father. 

Kakashi is so adorable in his own ways and - Iruka carefully inserts on hand in his pocket, finding the small velvet box tucked in carefully.

He can't wait to ask Kakashi later on. 

**Author's Note:**

> yeyy, you made it at the end!!! \o/  
> kudos and comments are appreciated so so much :3c  
> i hope you all enjoyed it, and stay safe lovelies!
> 
> if you're curious, the balcony layout is inspired by [this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/72/a3/f772a3c919c3b8eeeaaceb7f1ae8e9cc.jpg) pic
> 
> reach me through hereeee ~ i don't bite :3c  
> [tumblr](https://mytsukkishine.tumblr.com/), [twitter](https://twitter.com/mytsukkishine%22%22)


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